A TEENAGER who pushed his own girlfriend to the ground and knocked another man unconscious has been punished with everything a sheriff could throw at him.

Avoiding being locked up, Kieran Spence has instead been put on probation for two years, electronically tagged on a curfew for six months, the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work in the community and a £2,000 compensation order.

Sheriff Simon Pender warned the 19-year-old he avoided sending him to custody against his "better judgement".

Spence, of Townhead Road, Helensburgh, previously pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner to her injury in Colquhoun Square last year and to an assault to severe injury against another man.

Fiscal depute Claire Nicholls told the court last month Spence was out on the night of April 15 with friends while his partner of three years was on a work's night out.

Around 2am on April 16, the partner left a pub in James Street and as she was walking away, became aware of Spence and he then pushed her to the stomach, causing her to fall and graze her knee.

A man intervened and Spence repeatedly punched him, brandish him with a bottle, twice kicking him to the body and rendering him unconscious for about two minutes.

Another two witnesses intervened to offer medical assistance and one removed his t-shirt to apply pressure to a wound.

Last week Spence's defence solicitor Jonathan Paul told the court there was a problem with alcohol. Spence's girlfriend, who has continued the relationship, made it clear abuse of booze wouldn't be tolerated.

Mr Paul said: "He has taken steps to limit his alcohol intake since this incident. He accepts responsibility for what is a serious matter. His relationship with the complainer in charge one is settled.

"He is a young man trying to better himself. He recognises you could send him to custody today. He is genuinely sorry for what's happened here."

Sheriff Pender told Spence: "It's by good fortune only that the injuries were not much more serious. Consumption of alcohol is absolutely no excuse whatsoever."

He added the alternative punishments to custody were a "one-time chance".